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Tuition

Expires: April 30, 2023

1 Facts

  1. The costs that students pay in tuition, should be demonstrated in a transparent way by the University of Alberta.
  2. In 2018, the Post-Secondary Learning Act (PSLA) was amended to include:
    1. Giving the Minister of Advanced Education (or equivalent) the ability to freeze domestic tuition;
    2. A cap on domestic tuition to not exceed the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation across a post-secondary institution, not exceeding a 10% increase per program;
    3. A mandate that post-secondary institutions must communicate the entire sum of a degree to an international student when they begin studies;
    4. An administration and the Students’ Union must present a joint submission in order to apply for approval of an exceptional tuition increase to a faculty or program.
  3. The Students’ Union believes that the Government of Alberta has the duty to fund the cost of a post-secondary education system that has the capacity for all eligible individuals to participate given the increased importance of an educated populace and the growing demands of an emerging knowledge economy.
  4. The high and unpredictable costs of post-secondary education are barriers to students.
  5. International tuition is consistently being increased beyond the cost of a degree due to a greater reliance on revenues from international students[1].

2 Resolutions

  1. The Students’ Union will not support increasing tuition and will work towards a reduction of any tuition increase at the University of Alberta Board of Governors.
  2. The Studentsʼ Union shall advocate for a tuition policy that:
    1. Protects tuition from increasing due to fluctuations in funding grants to the University from the government;
    2. Ensures tuition levels are predictable for domestic and international students;
    3. Has as its primary indicator of affordability the ability of students to pay without having to accrue the burden of debt;
    4. Provides for the fact that tuition is only one of the costs of pursuing a post- secondary education; and
    5. Ensures that no student will ever be denied the opportunity to pursue post- secondary . education because of their inability to pay.
  3. The Studentsʼ Union shall advocate that the Government of Alberta legislate tuition policies that:
    1. Requires post-secondary institutions to provide to the Board of Governors of the institution, the Auditor General of Alberta and the Minister of Advanced Education (or equivalent) a detailed and verifiably transparent public plan on how additional tuition revenues will be spent.
    2. Is reflective of an open and transparent consultation period, including the publishing of stakeholder (including student) feedback.
    3. Does not make tuition levels reliant on the current economic state of the province or country.
  4. The Students’ Union will oppose funding models that seek to increase the reliance of post-secondary funding on tuition paid by students, as opposed to government funding.
  5. The Students’ Union will oppose the growing reliance of the University on continually increased international student tuition as a means of stabilizing its budget.

 

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